Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Have A Safe And Happy Holiday Week

At TDP we are celebrating our second Christmas online and this certainly has been an interesting adventure to say the least.

The last two years have been perhaps the most dynamic in NASCAR TV history and 2009 appears to be on the verge of ushering in big changes for all of the NASCAR TV partners.

Many thanks to all of you for stopping by, this year we are poised to top 3 million pageviews. In addition, your comments have been read by the top NASCAR TV executives and many others in the industry.

After a week to catch our breath, it will be time to document the countdown to the "new look" TV networks as they prepare to roll into Daytona.

Have a safe and healthy holiday, TDP will return on Sunday, December 28th.

JDYou have created a wonderful blog that is uniquely informative. You have done it in a professional manner that plainly states your perspective on issues that matter to a large segment of fans. You have also provided a credible venue for the rest of us to opine and vent in a comfortable online environment.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you, JD and all the folks here on TDP. This is one of my favorite blogs and I enjoy reading your commentary on the NASCAR shows. Keep up the good work. See ya in 2009!

Merry Christmas to you and those around you, and all the individuals who post on this blog. These last two years have been great here. I did learn alot about the media coveage of the sport from this blog and enjoy the inside stuff on how it gets to us the fans. That is what got me to read this blog in the first place. Yep, looking forward to 2009. It could be interesting.

JD,First of all, thank you for all the work you do on this site and I hope you have a good Christmas.Second, I hate that I completely missed the Q and A session last week (was working) and wonder if you can answer one last holiday wish from this anon that has enjoyed all the information and columns on your site since the early months. I am a college TV student with some TV experience on my resume and I do recall a while back you mentioned that you were willing help out folks with various freelance or limited term positions in TV. What can I do to take advantage of that?Thank You and Merry Christmas

JD, thank you for all the hard work, and giving fans somewhere to voice our opinions. This is my first stop every day. I have enjoyed exchanging thoughts and ideas with everyone here. Have a wonderful holiday season, stay safe, and stay warm!

A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Here's hoping for a safe and exciting Nascar season and better production values all around.

Here's my list on what I hope Santa brings to some:

For ESPN: Smarter directors, and getting clues on how to produce a great race for home viewers.

For Speed: A better idea on what kind of network they want to be. Are you going to be a pure racing network or will we continue to be forced to watch such drivel as Unique Whips, auto auctions and men towing cars?

For Tony Stewart: Lots of good luck. Not a real good time to start a new race team.

For Dale Jr: More wins and proof you're not racing on your name only.

For all racers not named Jimmie Johnson: Great engineers, top-notch crews and a whole lot of luck.

For Brian France: Coal in his stocking and maybe a DVD of The Wizard of Oz so he can learn how to find a heart and a brain.

For Hunter, Helton and Pemberton--the three Un-Wise Men: The ability to interpret the rule book and the foresight to allow the drivers to be themselves and not corporate robots.

For Bobby Labonte, Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman, Petty Enterprises and all other unemployed or under-sponsored drivers and teams, sponsorship to run viable programs.

For Chad Knauss: A book deal for his new non-fiction entitled, Cheaters Always Finish First.

For the guys on Raceday: Hope that Home Depot continues to sponsor their great show (rumor has it, they're not).

For Krista Voda and Wendy Venturini: A contract with ESPN and Fox to replace Spake and Little on Nascar broadcasts.

To Nascar Now: You don't need much, just keep on keeping on.

To the ESPN broadcast crew: HELP !! If not for Dale Jarrett, the entire crew would be a total disaster.

To Dr Jerry Punch: A ticket back to what he does best: pit reporting.

To Allen Bestwick: A new contract allowing him to take Dr Jerry's seat in the booth.

To the guys at Sirius Nascar: No changes. The XM/Sirius merger is changing things, not for the better in many ways. Leave channel 128 alone !!!

To the Automakers: Brains to get their "stuff" together in Detroit and continues support of all racing series.

Jack Roush: A good security system so others don't steal your equipment.

Carl Edwards: An anger management course. Get the name from T. Stewart.

To The Truck Series: R-E-S-P-E-C-T, and lots of sponsors and viewers.

For John Daly: Continued success with TDP.

To all Nascar fans: Better racing, cheaper tickets, better racing, different winners each week, better TV coverage, better racing, no interrupted TV coverage for local news, ESPN keeping the races on ONE channel, better racing, smarter start times for races, dumping one race each at Michigan, Fontana and New Hampshire, the return of the Southern 500, dumping the Chase and putting together a points system that makes sense, Nascar going back to basics, and did I mention--better racing.

To all the fans of TDP: A great Holiday, healthy New Year and better Nascar racing in 2009.

This is one site that I make it a point to read every day. Ever since I found this page about a year ago, I haven't stopped visiting since. Keep up the great work JD and everyone who reads and comments!

merry christmas and happiest of holidays to everyone on TDP! safe travel to and from family and friends' homes and i hope you enjoy the best present of all: time with those who love you most!

jd, you've created a terrific blog for us to enjoy: many thanks for this year-long gift to us! we've reveled in and agonized over the season together and now we wait less-than-patiently for the new race season to begin. the TDP comedy tour is no doubt working hard on new material for '09 and nascar and the media partners certainly will not disappoint in that regard!

our thoughts and prayers to those who remain unemployed right now: the new year will bring new hope, i'm sure!

finally, we pray the Lord will be with all those serving our country and who are away from home right now. keep them safe from harm, give their families strength and patience and let them know that they are in our thoughts daily.